The martyrs were mentioned in the presence of Abu Anaba Khawlani, and the people listed those who die from stomach ailments, those who die from plague, and women who die in childbirth. Abu Anaba became angry and said, "The companions of our Prophet narrated to us from our Prophet ﷺ that he said, 'Allah's martyrs on earth are Allah's trustworthy ones on earth among His creation, whether they are killed or die a natural death.'"
ذكر عند أبي عنبة الخولاني الشهداء فذكروا المبطون، والمطعون، والنفساء، فغضب أبو عنبة وقال: حدثنا أصحاب نبينا عن نبينا ﷺ أنه قال: إن شهداء الله في الأرض أمناء الله في الأرض من خلقه قتلوا أو ماتوا.
Ahmad (17786) narrated it from Abu Yaman, who said, Ismail bin Ayyash told us, from Muhammad bin Ziyad Alhani, and he related it. Its chain is hasan because of Ismail bin Ayyash, for he is truthful in his narration from the people of Sham, and this narration is from that category.As for what Abu Anbah Khawlani was angered by, namely that the plague victim, the one who dies of an abdominal ailment, and the woman who dies in childbirth are the martyrs, perhaps his anger was caused by what he understood from the saying of the Prophet ﷺ, "The witnesses of Allah on earth are trustworthy ones from among His creation on earth." These people mentioned in his presence are not the only martyrs.But the correct meaning of his saying ﷺ, "The witnesses of Allah on earth are trustworthy ones from among His creation," is in the sense of witnesses, not the martyrs who are killed in the path of Allah. The term "shuhada" was also applied to witnesses, as in his saying ﷺ, "You are the witnesses of Allah on earth," which he said when the people praised a funeral with good words, and spoke ill of another, as found in the sahih hadith of Anas.And Allah knows best.